My Favorite Monster
by Of.Winged.Poets
Summary: -"Too bad he was a monster. I knew firsthand what monsters could do."Edward is one of the Volturi. That makes Bella and Edward enemies. Can Bella see past the monster to love him? Can Edward fix his mistakes in time? B
1. First Sight

_This is a story about what could have happened. What if Edward were one of the Volturi? What if Bella and Edward were mortal enemies? I'm about to tell you._

_I don't own twilight._

_Chapter 1_

_First Sight_

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EPOV

The hall was quiet, deathly silent. I suppose death is an accurate metaphor for the situation. That is what we were, the messengers of death. To the people about to enter this hall we would only be known as dark angels, swiftly delivering that final rest. So it was silent. My silence was in preparation. I had never been as excited about "feeding time" as Jane. Her thoughts assaulted my mind, as disgusting as ever. Aro stood calmly. He didn't move, just waited with that knowing smirk on his face. I despised that smirk.

Truth be told, I often found myself despising everything here in Volterra. I hated the need to hide away like criminals. I hated "feeding time". I hated my own family. I spent most of my days secluded in my room, listening to music or playing the piano. There was no rest from the monotony.

Almost silent footsteps approached the hall. We all straightened to form a group. Aro and I stood toward the front, flanked by Marcus and Caius. Jane stood behind us. Demetri, Felix, and Alec were out patrolling. Heidi was the one returning. I knew immediately that something was wrong because, although I had not yet heard Heidi's thoughts, there was a distinct lack of shuffling human footsteps.

Aro's head inclined slightly, letting me know that he had also noticed this discrepancy. I listened harder, using both my ears and my extra talent to search for the source of the problem.

_We were attacked._ Heidi's thoughts spit fire. _Some rebels decided that it was time to act. I'm bringing them in. _She was incredibly angry. I wondered exactly what had happened.

"Apparently, they had a little trouble." I told Aro.

"Trouble?" He laughed. "What kind of trouble?"

"Something about rebels."

"Hmmm…" It was plain to see that this was all great fun to Aro. Anything unusual, anything promising a battle (of wits or warfare) always brought about his excitement.

Heidi burst through the doors at the end of the hall. Demetri and Felix followed. Both Demetri and Alec held on to struggling, captive vampires. Felix's captive was very small. It seemed odd to me that Demetri, with his large size, would be restraining such a small creature. Nevertheless, the girl was putting up a good fight. She had spiky hair and pale skin. She was most definitely a vampire.

Felix's captive was struggling even more ferociously than the petite girl. She was taller and appeared stronger than the other. Her hair fell in a brown curtain around her face. It was tangled from struggling. When the light hit her, I could pick up on streaks of reddish mahogany in it. She was breathtaking.

I imagined how her skin would feel, how she would taste. She smelled amazing. If she had been human…I don't know what I would have done. She was passionate as she fought Felix.

I found myself taking a step forward to help her. What was I thinking? My Volturi robes swirled as I stepped back into place. Aro gave me an odd look.

_They are sisters._ Marcus thought. I raised a skeptical eyebrow. They looked nothing alike. _Hmmm…maybe…best friends?_ Marcus was rarely confused. Apparently, chaos had stormed our halls in the form of two small vampires.

As Marcus quietly related this information to Aro, I studied the beautiful girl. She was very graceful, but that's not what caught my attention. I couldn't tell what was different about her. I tried to catch her thoughts and gain some insight. I let out a small gasp at what I found.

"What is it, Edward?"

"I can't hear her thoughts." I whispered. Aro looked incredulous.

"Bring her over here, Felix." Felix had to drag the girl over. It took Heidi's help to move her. The girl was snapping ferociously at Felix. "Now, now. Can't we be civilized?"

"Okay. In the interest of civility, do you think we could do without the guards?" The girl said, standing up straight and dusting off her clothes. Her voice was beautiful, like bells. Aro laughed.

_I like this one, Edward._ He thought. I tried not to think about why that worried me. Felix released the girl.

"What's your name?" Aro inquired.

"Do you think you can let my friend go too?" The girl countered. She was fiery and her anger made her even more exquisite.

"Of course." He waved his hand, and Demetri dropped the pixie-like girl. It wasn't as if they were a threat to us. We outnumbered them by far. The girl stood up, but she remained where she stood. "Now, I'm Aro. This is Edward, Marcus, and Caius. Behind me is Jane. Those are Demetri, Felix, and Heidi." He took her hand with his. I heard shock and surprise in his mind. He couldn't read her either. Then a deep satisfaction ran through him.

_This is very interesting. She'd make a nice acquisition. Don't you think, Edward?" _I didn't bother to respond.

"Come along, tell me about yourself." The brown haired girl remained still and silent. The smaller girl heaved a sigh and walked forward, it was more like dancing though; she was so graceful.

"I'm Alice." She smiled. "This is Isabella, but you'd better call her Bella. She might get angry otherwise."Bella, a beautiful name. The girl stopped at Bella's side. Bella shot Alice a scowl. I almost smiled. That was very rare. I never felt the need to smile.

"Do you mind if we experiment a little, Bella?" Aro asked.

"That all depends." Bella hissed.

"No need to be hostile. You see, my power doesn't appear to work on you, neither does Edward's." She didn't seem surprised that we had tested our powers on her. I suddenly got the bright idea to try and read Alice. I was really getting slow. I found Alice translating the Canterbury Tales to Dutch in her head. So, they knew what our powers were. Maybe the footing was a little more even than I had thought.

"I'd rather you didn't." Bella said.

"Of course." Aro said, but he gave the command to attack at the same moment. The girl was too fast though. I felt a shifting in the air as if some invisible force field had been moved to encompass a larger space. Alice's thoughts completely disappeared.

Jane stepped forward, and smiled evilly. She concentrated harder. Her expression then turned to anger and frustration.

"Excellent." Aro clapped his hands together. "You're simply amazing my dear." He was the only one who was so enthused. Everyone else was terrified. We had never encountered something like this before.

"Thank you." Bella managed. I could see it was a stretch for her to be so polite. She obviously had a deep hatred of us. I felt a sad stirring in the vicinity of my heart, but immediately squelched it. Why should I care what this girl thought about me?

Aro had us moved to a more comfortable location. Jane seemed especially upset. Her thoughts portrayed a mixture of jealousy, anger, and hate. I felt almost worried for Bella.

"So, Bella, what brings you to Volterra?"

"Vacation." Bella lied smoothly. I noticed how she avoided making eye contact with me in particular. What did she have against me?

"I've been informed that you put quite a damper in Heidi's hunting plans." Aro admonished. Bella smiled. My breath caught. She was stunning.

"That was the idea." She admitted. Alice gave Bella a look that I couldn't quite decipher.

"Why would you want to mess with poor Heidi?" Bella opened her mouth to speak, but Alice cut her off.

"Bella and I were just unaware that Heidi was one of yours. We thought we had a rogue vampire on our hands." Alice smiled innocently, too innocently. She was lying. I chose not to point this out to Aro. I preferred to see how things played out.

"I think there's more of a story than you are telling me, Alice. However, I'm willing to let I go…for now. Tell me about yourself."

"What do you want to know?" Alice asked sweetly.

"Everything." Aro said.

"I don't really remember that much." Alice admitted.

"No?"

"Nope."

"Forgive me if I have a hard time believing that. Would you care to prove it?" Alice held out her hand. She definitely knew too much about us. They didn't stand a chance. If Bella and Alice didn't join us, they were as good as dead. I had an almost irresistible urge to run Bella far away where Aro couldn't hurt her.

The door opened before Aro could touch Alice's hand. All of our heads whipped up. We had been too involved to even notice the approaching vampires. Alec came into the room with another captive. This one wasn't struggling. At least, he wasn't struggling until he saw Alice. Then he fought free of Alec and went to her.

His thoughts were full of love and worry. I was suddenly very envious of the couple, but I didn't know why. I had never cared about finding a mate before. Bella's eyes were on me. I looked at her and our gazes locked. There was something different about her scarlet eyes. They didn't look right.

I realization hit me. Contacts. She was wearing contacts. I had noticed how, periodically, Bella and Alice would brush their faces or rub their eyes, something that vampires didn't normally do. They had been sneakily putting in contact lenses.

"What?" Bella asked, noticing my expression. I debated about whether or not to reveal what I knew. I decided not to, for now.

"Nothing." I looked away. Jasper had been seated with Alice.

"I take it this is a friend of yours?" Aro asked Alice, clearly amused.

"Yes." She smiled. "This is Jasper."

_Mate._ Marcus said in his mind. _They have a very strong connection._ I nodded a little. It was hard to communicate secretly when Bella's eyes were still on me.

BPOV

Alice had failed to mention how perfect Edward was. She had told me in great detail about all of the Volturi. Or at least, she had told me what Carlisle had told her. Carlisle had never met Edward before though so I suppose it would be wrong to blame either of them for my sudden lack of control.

He was amazing. Every line of his face was perfect. The only things out of place were his burgundy eyes. He would look incredible with gold eyes. If only…

It was too late to save any of them. These were the Volturi, the oldest and most powerful family of vampires. I doubted any of them would be willing to change their ways. Still, he was almost painful to look at. Edward looked like an angel. The dark robes seemed out of place on him.

The whole time that we had been here, he had had a few silent conversations with the others. I knew because I had been staring at him almost the whole time. Too bad he was a monster. I knew firsthand what monsters could do.

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I really hope you're enjoying it. Did I get all of the Volturi? I think I did. It will get more interesting, promise. Please review. I love reviews. By the way, I have a load of other Twilight Fanfictions if you're interested.


	2. The Key

_Sorry for the wait. It's hard to update when I have like no reviewers._

_I do not own Twilight._

_Chapter 2_

_The Key_

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BPOV

Aro invited us to stay as "guests". I was trying to find a way out. Alice and I had become masters of escape, but I couldn't find any escape route. It wasn't as if we could take on all of the Volturi and their guards. Well, maybe we could, but I wasn't willing to risk the casualties.

Alice was politely trying to refuse Aro's offer when our salvation strolled through the doors.

"Carlisle?" Aro asked, standing to greet his old friend. I saw something flash between Edward and Marcus.

"Hello, Aro." Carlisle greeted him warmly, but there was ice beneath the surface.

I could feel the climate of the room changing. Before, they had been afraid of me, but sure of their superiority. Now, we were more even.

Carlisle's eyes drifted over to us.

"Why are Bella, Alice, and Jasper here?" He asked Aro, as if he didn't know.

"You were not aware that they were paying Volterra a visit?"

"No, I knew that they were here. They are my traveling companions. I was under the impression that they intended to stay inside while I paid you a visit." Carlisle lied smoothly.

"Of course. Well, now that you're all here, perhaps you'd like to extend your visit. We were just offering your companions a stay as guests."

"I'm afraid we have rather pressing business elsewhere."

"That's too bad because, you see, your companions here made a very grave mistake."

"What was that?"

"They tried to stop Heidi's hunting excursion."

"Oh really? I wasn't aware that free will was a crime now as well."

"Don't be silly, Carlisle. The crime is not in the act, it's in the fact that they got caught."

"You will not let us go? I'm sure we can work this out."

"I'm afraid that that would not be a good example to others who share your radical ideas."

"Then you leave me no choice." I waited for Carlisle to give us a signal to act. He did not. Demetri and Felix were tensed in preparation as well. "I will have to accept your invitation." Carlisle said. I relaxed cautiously. This was a bad idea.

"Wonderful. I'll have someone show your companions to their rooms while we catch up."

"That sounds fine." Carlisle seated himself comfortably without being asked.

"Edward, if you wouldn't mind?" Edward stood. He was incredibly graceful. I didn't like his robes though. I tried to picture him in normal clothes. It was astounding how easily I could see him in my world. He seemed to fit right in amongst the trees of my favorite of our residences, Forks.

"After you." He said, holding the door open for me.

"Thank you." We filed down the hall. I hoped Alice was paying attention because I was too distracted by Edward to notice the correct path through the maze-like halls.

EPOV

I was very conscious of Bella's light tread behind me. I wanted to believe that I was just being observant of the potential threat, but my observations were not very militaristic. Rather, I noticed her grace, her silence. I found myself waiting desperately for the sound of her voice, wishing that I could see her. If I had less dignity I might have turned around and walked backward just to watch her.

Unfortunately, we came to their rooms all too soon.

"Will you two want one room or two?" I asked Jasper and Alice. Jasper didn't respond, just pulled Alice close beside him. I took that as a "one".

"One, thanks." Alice finally responded, glaring at her mate. I nodded and unlocked the room next to me.

"Here is your key." I said. Not that it would help them get out. If Aro wanted them as "guests" he would keep them.

Alice and Jasper entered their room and gave me appropriate thanks and compliments to carry to the others.

Then, it was just Bella and I.

"This one is yours." I held open the door for her. She smiled at me, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Thank you." I turned to leave. "Edward?" I loved the sound of my name on her tongue. I wanted to hear it again.

"Yes?"

"Where will Carlisle be staying?" I tried to remember. She was confusing me with her very presence.

"Down the hall." I finally managed.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." this time I didn't leave. I had the feeling that there was something else on her mind.

"Edward? How long do most…guests stay?"

"That depends." I said and, because I couldn't stand to lie to her, I left.

"Edward!" She called. I didn't want to stop. There was something about her that made me want to be a better man, or vampire as it were.

"Yes." She walked down the hall to me.

"You forgot to give me my key." She smiled.

"Sorry." I smiled back. I handed her the ornate gold key, hating all of the symbolism and irony involved in that gesture.

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Terribly short, sorry. I want more reviews and then you'll get better chapters. The rest will be more interesting too. This was just filler. If you didn't get the key symbolism/irony, message me or ask me in a review. vote on my poll.


	3. Luke

_Hey, everybody! I'm updating with the express purpose of bringing you all some news. There are deleted scenes from Twilight up. I just went to Bella & Edward . com and used the links to view them. I just want to say that I totally called them both. I bet the next one will be the Emmett scene. The first one's a little creepy at the end, if you ask me. The second one's cute though. So go watch them._

_Next, Edward is losing on my poll! Shocker, I know. If you want to protect Edward's pride, do your jobs as Twi-hard fans and vote!_

_I think I already said this, but the results from my last poll are in. The winner was a B&E friends since childhood fic. I will start work on that when I finish one of the things I'm currently working on. If you didn't vote for that, don't fear. I'm still going to do the song fics that were on the poll too._

_This is going to be a short one probably because I'm sleepy._

_I don't own it._

_Chapter 3_

_Luke_

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BPOV

I had to wait for the right moment. We would escape, but it had to wait for the time being. Alice said this wasn't the opportune occasion. I lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling. Why did they even bother to furnish these rooms with beds? I expanded my shield in and out until it pulsed like a living, breathing entity.

I was bored, plain and simple. I hadn't been this inactive since I was human. Inactivity led me to think about too many unpleasant things. The shadows in the corners crept closer and closer. Eventually they overtook me, and I was plunged into a memory.

_Flashback:_

_I was a teenager, living in forks with my father and my brother, my twin, Luke. He stored alongside me through the halls, his brown eyes identical to mine. He laughed at something outside of my realm of vision. I could see myself in the picture as well, but there was no sound. I was not in my body._

_We walked past my rusted truck, and got inot his beat up old car. He was speaking, but I could not hear. I still knew the words though._

_"Are you really scared of the woods? Don't be silly. There's nothing to worry about in there."_

_"Excuse me? Have you met me? There's always something for me to worry about." I responded. He laughed again; his laugh was deep and rumbling, filling up the enclosed space of the car so that I had to join in._

_"Don't worry. I'll protect you." That I had no doubt about. He had always been my protector. Sometimes he was too protective. There was never anyone good enough to date his bay sister I had snuck out to go on most of my dates, just to avoid him, not to mention my dad._

_"Why are we doing this again?"_

_"Because…" he said, exasperated. "We want to find that meadow. Don't you want to see Heaven on Earth?"I rolled my eyes._

_"The meadow doesn't exist. It's just a silly story that Dad told us when we were like five."_

_"Nonbeliever. He shook his head sadly. "Fine. I'm going to find the meadow. You're going because you love me, and you don't want me to get mauled by a bear."_

_"And what am I going to do if a bear attacks? It would probably be my bad luck that attracted the bear anyway." He glared at me. "Sorry." I muttered._

_"We're going to do this, and it's going to be fun."He stated. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes again._

_I watched the trees race past the rainy window. Before I knew it, we were there._

_"let's go." he said. He was way to chipper for the morning time._

_'I hope you remembered to bring coffee." I said in a tone that actually meant, "If you didn't bring me coffee you will die."He handed over a thermos of warm coffee. I sighed with relief. Now he rolled his eyes._

_"You will behave." he warned._

_"Sure, sure."He sighed and stomped off. I tripped over my feet to catch up._

_We wandered for a long time. The shadows got loner, reaching out to grab me with their sharp fingers._

_"Maybe we should head home." I whispered. I wasn't sure what made me lower my voice. There was just a feeling of danger in the air, as if a predator was watching us from the darkness._

_"Are you afraid of the dark?" He mocked._

_"No." I hissed because, at that time, I wasn't. Now I am. That night changed a lot of things._

_"Good. I think we're almost there." He'd already said that a few times. I just nodded._

_A twig snapped behind me. I jumped._

_"Will you stop that? You've got me freaked out now." he said._

_"Sorry. Look let's just go. "He must've heard the genuine fear in my voice._

_"Fine." he sighed. Then, something jumped out of the trees. It was too quick for me to even react. I fell backward, tripping over a root. Luke pulled me up and shoved me behind him._

_"What was that?!" He gasped._

_"I have no idea." It sprung again. This time, it didn't miss. Well, it did; it aimed for me, but Luke jumped in front of me. There was a sickening crunch as both Luke and the creature slammed against a tree. I smelled blood._

_"Luke!" I screeched. Birds flew out of the trees into the sky, startled by my exclamation. The creature raised it eyes. I was looking into the red eyes of a man. He looked unlike any creature that I had ever seen. He was exquisitely beautiful, or at least that was the impression that I got. It was very difficult to see him in the gathering darkness. His mouth dripped with blood._

_The man/creature lunged at me. His fangs sank into my flesh. I couldn't even scream. Then he was wrenched back. Someone else was there. I never knew who it was. I was unconscious._

I snapped out of the flashback, gasping. That was the worst night of my life. I had lost my brother and my future in one fell swoop. That vampire had stolen everything from me. Carlisle had always refused to tell me who it was. That meant that he was alive. If only I knew his name, I would seek revenge. Of course, that was the exact reason that Carlisle wouldn't give me the identity of my brother's murderer.

at first, I had hated what I was. I despised being a monster, but Carlisle taught me the truth. Vampires didn't have to kill humans. That was when I started training. I needed the training, the activity, to stop me from dwelling on the past. it helped me to forget the horrors that had occurred. I spent time learning to defend myself so that no one else would ever die for me.

My new family consisted of Carlisle, Esme, Alice, jasper, Rosalie, and Emmett. We arranged a "protest" against the Volturi's feeding habits. That's how we ended up here.

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	4. Lullaby

_Wow, it's been forever. I'm really really sorry. Maybe if you all reviewed, I'd update quicker._

_I don't own Twilight._

_Chapter 4_

_Edward's Hope_

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BPOV

Time passed slowly in the Volturi's domain. We had "freedom" to wander the halls, or so they said. However, it always seemed that every interesting door was locked. I dedicated my time to observation. I needed to know my enemies in detail. Our protest had been rash and had achieved nothing. We needed to regroup. We need to get out of here. But when we got out of there, I wanted to know everything that I could about how to take them down.

It wasn't difficult to learn about the Volturi. Rumors and gossip fluctuated through the staff about everything, the Volturi included. I had already learned a great deal about them from Carlisle, but he did not have much to say about Edward. I knew that he knew something though. It was incredibly frustrating. Alice was also holding out on me.

Amazingly, Alice actually seemed to be getting along with Edward. She was treating him like a good friend, a brother. It didn't fit. It just didn't make sense. What was I missing here? Carlisle looked at Edward with a special form of sadness. Did they all know something I didn't?

Despite my misgivings and confusion, I found myself drawn to Edward. There was a part of him that seemed kindred to a part of me. Maybe I was imagining things. I had managed to keep myself away from him, to keep myself from getting attached for most of our "visit". It wasn't until the second week of our confinement that things began to change.

We were only able to receive small quantities of blood, obtained from rodents or the occasional bird because the Volturi were disinclined to provide animal for us. The thirst was becoming a physical ache. I could see it in Jasper, Alice, and Carlisle's eyes as well. Jasper especially was having difficulties. I had been turned with a far more powerful ability to resist than he had. He wouldn't be able to last much longer.

So on last night of our second week, things were looking rather dismal. I paced restlessly in the moonlit hallways. I didn't like being in this uncontrolled situation, and the thirst was distracting me. I was beginning to find it hard to function. Usually, I would have been pacing in my chamber at this hour. The Volturi frowned on our prolonged exploration of their home, especially at night. They liked to keep things private. We tried to avoid provoking them unnecessarily. However, I found my room to be too small a distraction. The boredom and thirst threatened to overwhelm me, and I wasn't sure if I could take another trip down memory lane at the moment.

I decided to brave the halls and go for a walk. The whole place was dead silent, or it would have been to the human ear. I, however, wasn't human. I could hear the quiet murmur of a conversation between Alice and Jasper. I could hear the lightest shuffle of papers in Carlisle's room.

As I got farther away from our hall, I could hear the light footsteps of a Volturi servant, a human. I could hear her steady breathing, the quick beat of her pulse. Venom pooled in my mouth. My muscles automatically tensed in preparation. Panic overwhelmed me. I raced down one hall and then another, having no clue where I was going. I only knew that I had to get away from the human woman before I did something I would regret.

When the scent of human blood dissipated and I was able to stop, I took a quick inventory of my surroundings. It looked exactly like everywhere else I'd been in the Volturi's home. Upon closer inspection, there were a few differences. The scent of vampire was stronger than anywhere else, except perhaps in our hall. The furnishings were slightly finer and more carefully picked out.

The most noticeable difference, however, was the sound of music. It flowed from a room at the end of the hall, as steady as the heart beat that I had so dutifully run from. I was powerless to resist. My feet flew down the hall. The piano music instilled itself in my blood. It was beautiful. It was haunting. _It was mine. _A part of me claimed the song. Somehow I just knew that this song, this lullaby, was meant for me.

I slid into the room, careful not to disturb the pianist. The room was huge and high ceilinged. There were large windows that reached to the roof and heavy curtains that were left open. Nothing else was in the room except a piano, and a pianist. Who was playing such an amazing tune? My mind knew the answer before my eyes. It was Edward. Who else would it be? All of my avoidance had come to naught. I was incapable of turning from him now, and he had to know I was there, although he made no move.

I was drawn to him as if by some magnetic force. The moon cast the room in hues of blue and white. His skin glowed in the pale luminescence. He was exquisite. In that moment, it didn't matter if he was a monster. It didn't matter what crimes he had committed. It didn't matter who I was or he was. It didn't matter what we were. In that moment, nothing mattered except my undeniable need to be close to him.

I practically floated across the huge room. The physical distance seemed short in comparison to the intangible distance that I felt I crossed that night. Something changed, but I didn't know what. I sat next to him on the piano bench. Neither of us said a word. My shoulder brushed his as he played. Our breaths came in sync. The night seemed suspended like a dream.

He didn't speak or look at me. His eyes were closed. I could not take my eyes off of him. His fingers flew over the keys. I had never been so transfixed by a living creature in my life. How could a monster be so beautiful? How could a villain create such a beautiful masterpiece? Was I mistaken? Was my entire view of the situation incorrect? Did it even matter? My questions came to an end as Edward opened his eyes. My breath caught as our gazes met.

EPOV

I was consumed in the music. I had not intended to play her lullaby. I had never wanted to release the song that seemed to write itself, but here I sat. I could see her behind my closed eyes. The lullaby wrapped itself around me, around her.

I felt someone come to sit beside me. _Bella._ Was this a dream? I could smell her, feel her. My skin tingled here it brushed hers. The music swelled to a crescendo. Did she know that I played for her? If she knew, would she care? She only saw me as a monster. Would it repulse her if she knew? I couldn't bring myself to open my eyes. I was too afraid to dispel the illusion because, for a moment, I was letting myself believe that she saw something other than the monster, that Bella could be mine.

The lullaby came to an end. I forced myself to open my eyes. My gaze was immediately locked with hers, and I was surprised at what I saw. It wasn't that her eyes were gold, that much I had surmised. It was that her gaze held such a depth of emotion. I had never expected it. Was she as affected as I?

Still neither of us spoke. We sat in silence, lost in thought, lost in each other. I could stare at her for an eternity. The draw between us grew with every passing moment. Bella was the only thing in my world. I couldn't escape her pull. We both knew that one of us needed to go, but neither of us moved. Finally, something broke. I don't know what it was or who made the first move, but my lips were on hers. Her lips were soft and warm for a vampire's. Her skin felt fragile as I cupped her face with my hand. For the first time in years, I felt complete.

Bella pushed me back. She looked at me in shock and horror. I felt something inside of me break as a look of self disgust crossed her beautiful face. The spell was broken as she ran away. Who was this creature? Was she an ethereal angel sent to punish me? What a perfect torment. She was the only one who fit my nonexistent soul, but she pushed me away. Was I doomed to forever pine for this exquisite vampire, to watch from the shadows? Was there nothing that I could do? I deserved this torture for my sins, to live eternally alone. All I knew was that I was falling in love with her, and she would only ever see the monster.

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Poor Edward. Did you really think it would stay good for long? Bella and Edward have way way way to many issues to deal with still. Don't you want to know who killed Luke? Don't you want to see how Bella responds to this? If you do, you have to review!


	5. The Sight of Copper

_I'm sorry for the wait, again. I just feel little inspiration to write this. Maybe you all could help me out with that by reviewing. I know that 33 reviews for 4 chapters seem like a lot, but it's really not. I've had way more than that on the Maximum Ride circuit which is much smaller. Anyway, it's just something to think about._

_I don't own Twilight._

_Chapter 5_

_The Sight of Copper_

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BPOV

My feet carried me away from Edward swiftly. I didn't stop to think about my destination. I was too consumed in my own confusion and self-disgust. How could I have been so stupid? I had kissed one of the Volturi. I had been so close to, quite literally, sleeping with the enemy.

_It felt so right._ My traitorous mind whispered.

_Let's turn around and go back. _My silent heart pleaded. I shook my head quickly to erase such thoughts. Edward was one of them. He was dark, ruthless, without morals, and merciless. _He was beautiful, charming, sweet, and perfect._ Oh God, I had no idea what to think.

There was a part of me that still clung to sanity, but the larger part just wanted to be I his arms again. How could it be wrong to be with him when it felt so right? I had never felt like that about anyone, never responded so passionately to another's touch.

The section of my heart that was bloody with old wounds throbbed in pain. It would be forever damaged from the loss of my brother. I didn't know if I was capable of allowing someone that close to me again. Although I had let the Cullens in, this would be different. Edward was already winding his way into places of my heart that had long been untouched, and I hadn't even consented to stop hating him. I was afraid that if I stopped hating him, I'd fall in love with him. There was a terrified part of me that was already half way there.

The other part of my heart, the part that was bruised from continually being the lone wolf in a pack of lovers, ached dully, almost half-heartedly. It was as if it had already given up on warning me, so bad was its longing to not be alone.

The last participant in this inner battle was the smallest, weakest part of me. It was the place in my brain that clung to rationality, to safety, to revenge. It was the part that said he was the enemy, the part that called for escape. This was the tiny part of me that was still suspicious of everyone. That little section of me was losing ground with every step that I took.

I actually stopped in my tracks, ready to turn around and go back into those strong, safe arms. I was turning around in the moonlit hall when that miniscule fighter gave its last ditch cry. _He could still be a monster._ It whispered.

Before, that would have been the argument that put everything into perspective. I would have been able to see clearly, but I no longer believed that Edward was a monster; I had seen the truth in his eyes. I had tasted it on his lips. No monster could create something as pure as that lullaby. No, I couldn't see him that way anymore, but I was beginning to believe that he saw himself that way.

It was this revelation that forced something to click in my brain. My thoughts began computing data at an inhuman speed. Every sad look that Carlisle had cast Edward's way, every laugh that Alice had shared with him, every secret smile between Alice and Jasper behind my back took on a new meaning.

They knew that he wasn't a monster. Carlisle, at least, had known all along. They had all known that Edward was something different that the Volturi. I just needed to figure out exactly what the difference was. I didn't like having secrets kept from me.

I was still standing frozen in place when the man that now haunted my every though appeared behind me. I started and turned to look at him.

"Edward." I inclined my head. His named sounded like an endearment on my tongue.

"Bella, I-"

"It's okay. I overreacted. I just had some things to think about, some decisions to make." I rushed the words out. I was beginning to feel guilty about my actions. Everything that I now knew suggested that Edward was a good man. He had not done anything to merit my doubts, and so I would give him the chance he deserved. Alice had been able to do that from the start.

"What conclusion did you come to?" He asked.

"I-"

"I'm sorry. That was forward of me." He attempted a half smile. "We are not friends, but I find myself acting as if we are." He wanted to be my friend. I felt joy move smoothly through me, but it was accompanied by a pang of disappointment. Did he want nothing more?

I looked into his eyes. It was odd but, in the moonlight, they seemed less scarlet than they once had. Maybe I was imagining things. All I knew was that I couldn't let this beautiful man go. His copper hair gleamed weakly in the moonlight. I wanted to run my fingers through it. It looked so soft. It was then that I realized that I was irrevocably changed. I couldn't turn away now even if I wanted to. If friendship was all he was offering, I would take what I could get.

"I'd like that." I managed to get out. If I had been human, a fierce blush would have stolen over my face. Thank God for vampirism.

"Bella…" He sighed and stepped closer to me. He ran a pale hand through his gorgeous copper hair. "Bella, I…" He seemed struggling to find words. I bet he wished he could read my mind. I was certainly wishing that I could read his.

"Yes, Edward?" I took a step closer to him. I could smell his intoxicating scent.

"Bella…" My name was more of an observation than a beginning of a sentence. We were inches apart. Our chests brushed together with every breath. I tipped my head up to look into his eyes.

"Bella…" It was a question. I didn't have the words to answer. Instead, I rose up and pressed my lips to his. Instantly, fire coiled in my stomach. I wound my fingers in his hair. His hands traced my lower back.

We broke apart for an unnecessary breath. He trailed kisses down my jaw.

"Bella…" He whispered again. It was a prayer on his tongue. I tilted my head back as his lips trailed down my neck and back up. Our lips met again. He tasted amazing. I had never felt like this before.

Finally, we stopped. I rested my forehead against his. He held me close in his arms. I was surprised at how safe I felt. It was so strange. We stayed silent as we both thought about how complicated this could get. I was still a captive. He was still one of the Volturi.

"I'll see you in the morning, Bella." He said, releasing me. He turned and walked down the hall quickly as if he didn't trust his own restraint for very long.

"Edward!" I called. He turned; a hundred desperate emotions crossed his face. Before I knew what I was doing, I was slipping down the hallway and into his arms. He laughed and kissed me again. His laugh was rich and smooth. It reminded me of caramel, or a rolling stream. It filled me up inside and an answering laugh bubble from my lips.

"Goodnight." I pulled away with the echo of laughter still in my voice. His eyes gleamed with some unnamable emotion.

"Goodnight." he said. This time I walked away, but my thoughts stayed after, dwelling on the copper haired vampire behind me.

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Was it good? There are still a lot of issues and unanswered questions to deal with, but I wanted them to have a nice chapter. Tell me what you think. Review.


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